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Statement
Albanian journalists, Albanian media, media organizations, and civil society organizations call on the Government to immediately withdraw without conditions the two draft laws presented as "Anti-Defamation Packages"; we call on the Government to urgently withdraw these draft laws, unprecedented in the democratic world.
Ethics issues, such as the right to respond to an accusation, or the right to speak before an accusation is published, are dealt with in any democratic country by codes of ethics and self-regulatory media outlets.
Issues of hybrid warfare, disinformation, dirty media financing or political parties from politics or organized crime must be investigated by law enforcement in accordance with the laws and guarantees offered by existing laws, such as the penal code or criminal procedure code.
Albania has laws that regulate issues when the media violates the rights of others and any other interference, including the creation of an administrative body, is completely unnecessary in a democratic society.
Issues of defamation and insult in the Republic of Albania and in any country where the rule of law exists should be dealt with courts as an independent power. The attempt to replace the courts with bodies subordinate to political power constitutes the basis for serious violations of fundamental human rights and can be transformed into a cornerstone of a dictatorial regime.